REFocalypse

Is it time to review the longstanding pillars of higher education’s architecture?

Tomorrow brings the close of play of REF 2021. Hopefully, after six years and three months of preparation, you will by now have made your submission and will be sitting in a park with five other people, drinking prosecco for breakfast.

It is an indication of how well the UK’s vaccine rollout is going that when, back in June, the funding councils proposed 31 March as a revised deadline for submissions—a deadline that would be subject to review—Playbook thought it was at the optimistic end of what might be possible. The consensus now seems to be: thank goodness that’s over.